Midnight Blossom
by ShadowPhantom14
Summary: Time stops and a school transforms into a monstrous tower, dangerous shadows roaming the halls. The lights go out and an art gallery warps into a nightmarish scene, deadly artwork wandering the corridors. In the darkest situations humanity's true nature shines.
1. Chapter 1

"Here." She stands before him, just barely coming above his waist. Looking up isn't hard though. He's actually a bit shorter than her parents. In her outstretched arms is a tattered blue coat much too large for her. Though it had served nicely as a blanket.

Smiling that same reassuring smile, he takes the coat back and thanks her while sliding his arms into it. It hangs a tad loose on him, though he can't recall the cause. The fabric may have stretched, but in the back of his mind a more reasonable -and frightening- thought lingers.

He pushes past the fear and asks her a question. One that he suspects will be answered in the negative, given their circumstances. "Are you all right, Ib?" She had passed out in the previous hall and he'd rushed her here. The nearest safe room. Anything to keep her from harm.

Brown locks momentarily cover crimson eyes as she shakes her head. "I had a nightmare." The headless statues and an angry lady of color closing in on her, step by step, and she runs and runs but it's a dead end. There is no escape. Just screaming and darkness. She wraps her arms around herself in a sort of hug, only to be pulled into a real one by him.

Once he lets go of her he kneels to her height and pulls a small object out of his coat, placing it in her palm. Turning it over in her hands reveals it as a piece of yellow candy. He's still smiling at her, and despite all the fear and danger she can't resist smiling back. He's like the big brother she never had. "Thank you, Garry. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

He stands back up with a shake of his head. "No, it's no trouble, Ib. I'm at fault. I should have been keeping better watch on you. I'm sorry." A glance is spared toward the door, a small bookcase placed in front of it "We can stay here until you're ready to leave. I've barred the door to keep the artwork out." Several steps to another bookcase in the room and he removes a book from the shelf to flip through.

She unwraps the candy immediately, savoring its tangy flavor. She doesn't care for lemon but after today she thinks she might eat anything. Just this morning her parents had taken her to visit an art gallery. A special treat shortly after her birthday. Then the gallery goes dark and everyone is gone, and then the art turned scary and started attacking. Then she found Garry.

After finishing the candy she walks over to Garry and watches him read for a few minutes. It's a nice break from being constantly terrified. She's a good girl though. She doesn't show fear. At least not often. A few more page flips and she can't hold the question back. "What are you reading?"

"Hm? Ah, a compendium of sorts."

"A what?"

A light chuckle. He sometimes forgets she's only nine. So brave and mature for her age. "It's a collection of Guertena's most famous art."

"They can't come out of a book, right? Just paintings?"

"No, I think we're safe. It's a very interesting book, however."

Rocking back and forth on her heels, she quickly throws several more questions at him. His responses are similarly confusing but he corrects them all for her. He's out of candy now, apparently his coat is torn on purpose, and he's thirsty too. Good thing he stops himself after joking about drinking from the vase. It might not be normal water.

Being in the room is calming, but at the same time the longer she relaxes with him the more anxiety builds. She steels herself and tugs on Garry's coat to get his attention. "I'm ready to leave now."

He nods and takes Ib by the hand. "All right. Stay close and let me check outside first." Leading her to the door, he drops her hand and uses his entire body to push the bookcase aside. Retaking her hand, his other is used to turn the doorknob and open the door just far enough to peer into the hall beyond. The dark is haunting, but no artwork is present. "We're safe. Let's continue on."

They leave the room together, hand in hand down the barely lit hall. For quite a while nothing appears to harm them, and though he wants to be relieved he can't keep away the fear eating away at his psyche. His grip on Ib's hand tightens, a way to reassure himself that she's still there. So far she has been his anchor to reality. Not only had she saved his life by healing and returning his rose, but her continued presence might just be the only thing keeping his sanity intact. And that in itself is a terrifying thought.

* * *

Nearly there. Or so they hope. The crayon-drawn walls had faded to colored plaster, a sign that although they are still in the gallery, at least they had escaped from the sketchbook. A childish fantasy drawn by a young girl with an obsessive streak. Neither of them truly wanted to burn Mary, but after stalking them, pushing them into the toybox of horrors, and coming after Ib with intent to kill, setting fire to the painting was their only option.

Ib has hidden her fear well, but she knows fatigue is beginning to show. She's tired, and isn't running as fast when they need to. She wants to go home. Back where the only scary thing is her mother getting angry. She'll take that over this nightmare. Please. She just wants to go home.

Garry is exhausted as well, and his sanity is slipping. It's not the first time he's almost fallen asleep, or started talking to himself. But he keeps going for Ib's sake. Even if the shadows seem to follow them, and he can't shake the feeling he's being watched, and sometimes he swears the dolls are still leaving him messages on the walls, but then he blinks and the plaster is unmarred.

A crash from around the corner sends both of them scrambling backward as a lady of color drags herself into view, nails clawing at the carpet. Green. The fastest kind. "Be ready to run." His voice is steady but his hands are shaking as he leads her further back, then drags her along when he breaks out into a mad dash past the lady. She's holding his injured hand and it hurts when she tightens her grip, but he won't voice the pain. She needs to stay close.

The painting claws at their ankles, tugging on clothing, but can do no more damage with the duo's roses out of reach. The one advantage that they have over the ladies of color; the ladies are embedded in their frames from the waist down.

Sprinting around the corner leads them to a thinner hall blocked by a headless statue. They can hear the lady scratching at the carpet behind them, coming up fast. Artwork on both sides, one of them closing in. Blood thumps in his ears as Garry tries to calm his racing heart and Ib's hand tightens around his. Another wince and the handkerchief soaks up more blood. Not much time. They can skirt past the lady in green, but that would be backtracking. Again. They've done enough of that.

"Hide your rose. We'll maneuver around the statue." he whispers, lifting her small frame into his arms. She buries her face and hands into his chest, and he can barely make out red petals between the folds of hair and fabric. Perfect.

Her weight slows him down but it keeps her out of reach when he backs into the statue. Keeping his back to it he pushes it against the wall to squeeze past it, when a sudden burst of pain flares through his chest.

Ib gasps and looks up when he screams, but by then he's already past the statue, continuing down the hall. He uses his back to push open the door ahead, sets her down on the other side, then shuts the door and collapses against it.

She sits next to him and tugs on his coat. "Are you okay?" He's breathing wrong, like when she first found him. Lying on the ground, breathing wrong; he was hurting. Because... Oh! Because the lady in blue! "Is your rose okay?!" She hopes it's not like last time, but she'll go back for his rose again if she has to. Anything to keep him safe.

This time he can move though, if slowly. He sweeps his coat aside, reaches into his pocket with his uninjured hand, and pulls out a blue rose. Most of the petals are missing. The statue must have ripped them off. "Is... Is there a vase...?" he asks between ragged breaths.

She shoots up and looks around the immediate area. Part of her wants to get excited at the familiar location, but worry and panic drown that feeling thoroughly. Crimson eyes dart around for anything to help Garry. Those stairs weren't there last time. "There are stairs! I'll check there!"

He shakes his head. "Not... Not alone." He won't let her explore an unknown area alone. She might end up in just as bad a situation as him.

And she's staring at him. Eyes wide. Or does it just look that way because his vision is fading? "You need a vase." she insists. "I've been alone in here before. I'll be okay. Please, Garry..."

He tries to stand up to insist he follow, but he only makes it to his knees. Then she grabs his rose and runs. "Ib!"

She bolts down the staircase and rounds the first corner she sees, and miraculously there is a vase of water on a table. She puts the blue rose in the water and while it soaks up the life-saving liquid she spares a look at the wall. The paint is faded in a square spot and there's a sign near the vase. 'When your rose ? so too will you ? away.' It's familiar and she still doesn't understand that strange word.

When the water is gone and the rose at full bloom, footsteps thump down the stairs and a weary Garry grabs her by the shoulders. "Don't you ever..." he trails off, taking a probably needed deep breath. Healing a rose takes a minute to kick in. "Please don't run off on your own like that again!" He drags her into another hug. "I'm sorry. Thank you so much. I just..."

Ib smiles and returns the hug, using the opportunity and her height to slip his rose back into the proper pocket. "You get worried? My parents are like that. But it's okay. I was alone until I found you."

"That is true. You handled yourself remarkably well. You're very brave, do you know that, Ib?" He smiles and she thinks it's like the sun. "This is the second time you've saved my life."

And not the first time he's risked his life for hers. She clutches his coat, thankful to still have him. She needs him. And he needs her.

Releasing the hug, he checks his pocket and confirms the rose is there. Then a 360 around the room has him staring at the wall behind the vase. "This room is where I started."

"It is?"

"Yes, almost. After the gallery went dark I tried the front doors. When they wouldn't open I saw a wall had opened up so I followed the stairs down. They led to this room and here I found my rose. Then the lady in blue attacked me. Although the passage was red last time."

"Oh, so I was right! Upstairs is the main gallery. That means we're close, right?"

A hand to his lips in thought. "Ah, what doors did I fall against?"

"The front doors. Oh... So we came in from outside?"

"The entire gallery must be one large loop, then. Have you been down this staircase before?"

She shakes her head. "No, my rose place was blue, not black."

"I wandered from here and soon collapsed. I don't recall much of the area. There might be a new hall here, possibly with an exit. Let's go look."

Ib's grin at the mention of an exit nearly takes up her entire face. She takes Garry's hand as they walk down the hall.

And suddenly stop at a very surprising sound. Voices.

 _"They have to be this way!"_ A girl.

 _"How can you be certain?"_ A man.

 _"After finding enough people in Tartarus I've gotten pretty good at pinpointing voices."_

Ib squeezes his hand and again he winces, then removes her to switch sides and retakes her hand. Blue eyes stare down the hall, and though half his vision is blurry and obscured by lavender hair, he sees no-one. An auditory hallucination? This place is slowly destroying his sanity.

"Garry, there are people!" So she hears them too...

"Stay quiet." he warns. "They might be paintings like Mary."

That hushes her quickly. The duo back into the stairwell, Garry peering around the corner. Another duo comes into view, presumably the owners of the voices. A red-haired girl of high-school age and a young man dressed in an unusual blue suit jacket.

He pulls back and looks down at Ib. "It's two people like us."

"We should say hi." she suggests, at which Garry's eyes widen, so she explains. "Mary was nice when we met. She acted real. You don't know if they're paintings until you talk to them. They might be real people..."

"And if they're paintings it's bound to end like Mary."

"They might be nice paintings."

Garry sighs but concedes. She has a very good point about the possibility of people like them, and right now they could use help. If the two wish to attack, the area up the stairs should provide enough room to escape. He takes her hand and they step down into the hall and into view of the strangers.

Said strangers stop and the girl's face lights up. _"See, Theo? People!"_

Ib gives them a meek wave. "Hi."

Garry follows suit.


	2. Chapter 2

It's an unusual place, but compared to her life lately she feels it fits in well. It makes her feel special; only she can see the door. At the same time that feeling strangles her. She doesn't want to be special. She's been special all her life and for all the worst reasons. She just wants to fit in. At least maybe now it's not so bad. She's found others like her. But... None of them can see this place.

Turning the key in the lock and gently pushing open the floating blue door, she steps inside. Once again she is greeted by the familiar sight of a large blue elevator steadily ascending. The doors to either side are all covered by cloth, but it's the sofa and table in the center she needs.

"Igor isn't here?" she asks the young man reading in the elderly one's place.

"Oh!" He quickly shuts his book and stands up, giving the girl a short bow. "I'm sorry, Master is out at the moment. I am capable of providing assistance in his stead. And may I say it is delightful to see you again, Minako?" Gloved hand provides a sweeping gesture towards the chair across from the table.

She smiles and takes the familiar seat as he returns to the sofa. "Nice to see you too, Theo."

"What may I do for you?"

She wants to know something, but while she's here it would be best to handle business first. She's been meaning to get this done for a day or two now. She holds a hand up to her chest, spends a moment looking deep within herself, and when she brings her hand down it holds three cards. She lays them out on the table for her attendant. "I'm hoping to get these personas fused."

A proud grin forms as he looks over the cards. To anyone else, to any mortal not a guest of the Velvet Room, these would simply look like strange cards. Each with an unusual creature. But to him and his guest the personas are inherently familiar; all a part of her psyche. And oh is his guest ever good at choosing fusions. It's one of the things he likes about his job; being able to create is a feeling unlike any other. And so far he's only made a mistake twice.

She watches him merge the cards, feeling the result alter a small part of her soul. She then takes the singular new card back from him and thanks him when it vanishes.

"Is there anything else you may need?" he asks.

"Well, I was wondering something." One hand adjusts her hairpins while the other is a fist in her lap. It tightens with nervousness.

"I cannot guarantee an answer though I will do my best. What is it you want to know?"

Both hands meet in her lap as she asks the question bothering her throughout this trip to the Velvet Room. "Is it okay if _I_ make a request of _you_? Or is that like, role reversal and I'm not supposed to do that?"

He tilts his head forward ever so slightly, a gloved hand coming to rest near his lips. "Hm... I've never known a guest to do such a thing, though I suppose it simply depends on the nature of the request. If it does not conflict with my duties I will give it some thought."

Her smile brightens at his words. "Well, you've asked me to show you around my world a few times now. I thought I'd take the initiative this time around! There's an art gallery in Iwatodai hosting a special exhibit this week. I was kind of hoping I could take you along? You might be interested in human artwork."

Minako would like to take him out again? Of her own initiative? This was most unexpected, yet not an unwelcome prospect. The chance to see an art gallery is also alluring. Art is the soul poured onto a canvas; made visible for all to see. "I will take your request. When would you like to go?"

"Is tonight okay? We'll be back before the Dark Hour."

"Certainly. I shall await your return."

* * *

"This seems most ominous."

"The placard or the fact that we're stuck here when the power is out?" she asks. It would have been an angry retort had she not been so used to experiences like this.

"Both."

She pulls out her cell phone and checks the screen. Were it off she might have been relieved. The Dark Hour would explain what had happened to the gallery. A location transforming at midnight, making all electronics die while the shadows roam. Like her school becoming Tartarus. But no, her phone is just kind of frozen. Stuck on the time the power had flickered out, and no calls or texts can go through. It's still on though. 90% battery life. "The power is out but electronics still work..." She shoves it back in her pocket, frustrated. "It's not the Dark Hour, so what..."

"I cannot be certain, but perhaps we will find out more as we progress." he assures her.

She concedes to that. "You're right, and I'm sorry for getting you into this mess, Theo. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Minako, my job is to help you. If that means that perhaps this time I must do so at your side rather than from the Velvet Room, so be it."

Crimson eyes blink in both surprise and gratitude, but she can't keep down the confusion as well. "I thought attendants couldn't intervene with their guest's journey? Igor said so once, I'm sure of it."

He sighs. "Master is correct, but I believe exceptions must be made. I refuse to leave you here simply because this is not part of my duties. I will suffer whatever punishment I may receive for doing so. Now, do tell me your opinion of this riddle. I'd like to be sure I'm not misunderstanding."

She looks at the placard he's staring at. "When your rose wilts, so too will you wilt away." Below the placard is a table with a vase holding a single black rose. "I think it's a metaphor. They're comparing a heart to a rose. It must be part of the exhibit."

"Ah, and when one's heart breaks so too will they. A sad tale."

She nods and begins walking away from the table. "Let's get going. We need to find a different exit."

He follows suit, but the pair stop when after what has surely been more than ten minutes, the dark hall has lead them back to the rose. This place is more like Tartarus than she assumed. The layout can warp itself. "There has to be a way..." she mutters, breaking away from Theo's side to re-examine the room's contents.

Against a blue wall a single painting rests next to the table's placard; a woman in a red dress. The table holds a black rose in a white vase. A placard speaks about the rose, but no such descriptor for the woman. The frame reveals the title as 'The Lady in Red'.

She stares at the painting, suspecting maybe it is a piece of the puzzle, and reaches to lift it from the wall. Red eyes shift to glare at her, and she gasps, scrambling back from the art. Looking at the woman it's the same as before. The painting hasn't changed. But then... She steadies her breath. The atmosphere is just making her freak out. No more scary movies for her.

She is about to try again to remove the painting, reminding herself its eyes can't move, when her attendant calls out to her. The carpeted floor quiets her steps as she returns to his side by the vase. "Yeah?"

"I find it unusual that I cannot remove the rose from the vase." He gives the flower another tug as if for emphasis.

"Maybe it's really strong glue?" she shrugs.

Yellow eyes blink at her and his shift in body language is somewhat self-conscious, but when he shakes his head no he seems confident in the gesture. Right... She sometimes forgets just how powerful he is, given how he acts. Yeah if he can't lift it then it's probably not going anywhere.

Still, she has the feeling she should at least try. "Okay, let me see."

He steps aside to let her make an attempt and doesn't expect much. No offense meant toward his beloved guest, but she is only human. Which thoroughly astounds him when she removes the rose from the vase with no effort at all.

She stares at the black rose in her hand, gripping it loosely so as not to hurt herself on its thorns. "Huh." It has about eight or so petals and she feels an odd connection to it. Not unlike the feeling of her personas in the back of her mind. "I think it's meant for me."

The room shifts and instead of a seemingly endless hall, a wall closes it off and a door appears. "Oh." She ties the rose into the bow on her skirt and starts toward the door, when she hears a thud. Turning around, the painting of the woman is on the ground. She makes to examine it when her arm is yanked forward by another, the door thrown open, and once she is tossed through it's slammed shut.

She stands there, taking a moment to process what just happened. The arm still holding her is clad in blue.

"You must be more cautious, Minako. Treat this place as you do Tartarus." Slowly he releases her arm and checks that the door is firmly shut. The nature of the creature imitating a painting is unknown to him, but now that it has revealed itself he memorizes the feeling of its presence.

"The paintings are shadows?"

"They are hostile."

That both answers her question and evades it. Not shadows, but dangerous all the same. Great. "I'll be more careful. Thanks."

She starts ahead again, this time checking the walls as she goes. After a particularly winding set of corridors Theo stops her with a hand on her shoulder. "I don't believe we are as alone as it seems. There are other humans here."

"What floor?" she asks, taking a more serious tone. Just like rescuing some of the people lost in Tartarus.

He pauses, taking a moment to mentally reach out and find the presence again. "One floor below us. There are two of them."

"Okay. We'll find them and meet up. Safety in numbers, after all." She starts heading down the hall, eyes darting around to look for any more of the creepy paintings. "Stick by me, Theo. You'll have to take Fuuka's place."

Long strides let the attendant catch up quickly. "Who is Fuuka?"

"A good friend of mine and the team navigator."

"Ah, your Priestess social link. I see now. I will do my best."

They move through the halls quickly but quietly, trying to listen for footsteps or voices. The others could be clear across the gallery, but she isn't going to stop until she finds them. Just like the lost. Theo alerts her about the presence of 'hostile beings' several times. Headless statues and mannequin heads mostly, though occasionally another lady of color.

After running for dear life from yet another statue they stop for a breather, Theo putting all his weight against a door to keep it shut. From the other side something bangs and he lets out a frightened yelp. Minako does a one-eighty and rushes over to help keep the door shut.

The banging soon stops, but Minako is cursing the lack of locks in this freaky place. She stops muttering when a voice that isn't hers or Theo's reaches her ears.

 _"Have you been down this staircase before?"_ A man.

 _"No, my rose place was blue, not black."_ A young girl.

Excitement fills her, as this means they're close. She listens to the rest of the conversation; not really taking in the meaning, but listening for the direction of the source. "We're close!"

Her attendant's golden eyes light up and he follows when she rushes off around the corner.

"They have to be this way!" she calls back.

"How can you be certain?" He doesn't mean to doubt her, but he does know how sound can echo and be thrown in misleading directions.

"After finding enough people in Tartarus I've gotten pretty good at pinpointing voices."

They find themselves in back in a replica of the normal art gallery. All the paintings are the same, but the wallpaper is now black. None of the art here moves to attack, so that's nice. They pass by a large painting that seems to have changed, but it doesn't seem important. They're looking for stairs. Ah, one of the walls is open. "This way." Minako points down a foreboding stairwell where there wasn't one in the regular gallery.

She slowly heads down the first few steps, but catches Theo frozen at the top. Despite the circumstances, she giggles. "It's okay, it's not like the escalator."

"I think it might as well be, with how little you can see ahead."

"If you're worried about falling I'll catch you. I'll be in front." When he still doesn't move she ascends enough to take him by the hand, then slowly descends the staircase, one baby step at a time. The bottom is an empty room save for a vase on a table. Theo makes for the only door and she follows. Before either get there it opens to reveal two people.

A little brunette girl and a purple-haired young man in a strange coat. The guy looks a year or two older than her. Probably an upperclassman. An odd duo but she can't keep down the excitement that she finally found them! "See, Theo? I knew I'd find them!"

The little girl shyly waves and says, "Hi." after which the guy waves as well.

Minako rushes over to them, social butterfly mode kicking in even in this confusing terror of an art gallery. "We heard voices so we went looking. I'm Minako." A beckoning gesture draws her attendant over. "And this is Theo." He follows her introduction with a bow.

The little girl smiles at them and clumsily imitates Theo. A bow while holding someone's hand is difficult. "I'm Ib."

The guy gives a small tug on Ib's hand to pull her back ever so slightly and introduces himself with, "My name is Garry."

She opens her mouth to ask about the gesture, but Theo intercedes with a more pressing question. "I don't suppose you know what this place is?"

Ib remains silent, and Garry's initial reply is a slight shrug. "Not particularly. I have some theories, though we care more about leaving than understanding. We were searching for an exit when you appeared."

Minako catches his visible eye land on the rose tied into her skirt, then move to look at Theo. She can't quite read his expression.

"Garry said there might be one this way." Ib points to the door.

Minako smiles and turns the knob. "Then we'll start there."


	3. Chapter 3

"Light..." Ib's comment is the only sound after the door shuts behind them. The group looks around the large room, trying to take in every detail. Either the lights are hidden but useable, or the room's color gives off the appearance of being lit. It's a light brown, almost orange. After so many dark colors the change is quickly welcomed by Garry and Ib, evident by the faint smile shared by both. Minako still hesitates, and Theo seems to follow her lead. For a moment all is quiet. The silence breaks when four pairs of eyes land on an art display to the left. "A-A snake..." Garry's grip on Ib tightens when he makes the observation. The creature of art is hanging from a frame and is large enough to obstruct the hall. "Sure is big. Let's not wake it up."

A collective nod and the group moves forward, all stepping quietly so as not to wake the creature. Up a short staircase Ib points out a slim hall to her right, almost unnoticed at that angle. The four step inside to see a dead end, but five paintings adorn the walls, each based on a different color scheme.

Garry is drawn to the violet frame, in which sits a teacup. The smell of freshly brewed tea wafts from the canvas. "It smells wonderful, but..." A sigh. "If only it were real tea."

"It is quite rude of this gallery to tease us so." remarks Theo, who has moved to the blue-framed book painting. Upon getting close enough the pages flip to reveal a message. "'Everyone goes to sleep at night.' How odd."

Minako shakes her head. "Not everyone." The Dark Hour is proof of that. She and her friends are awake past midnight more often than not. "Let's check the rest of the main room. This place isn't very useful." She turns and walks back down the hall to the central path, the others following suit.

Continuing up another staircase they all stop at a gap in the floor. Minako jumps across, followed by her attendant. Garry tries to take Ib with him next, but she lets go of his hand upon seeing a white speck moving along the floor. "Oh, wait first." She goes back to the side room, worrying Garry enough to follow her, but she returns safely with the green-framed painting. At his confused stare she says, "Have to help the ant." and lays the painting across the gap.

Their two new companions look on in confusion, but Ib smiles a bit when she sees a small white ant scamper into the anthill in the painting.

"Why bother?" Minako asks.

Ib takes Garry's hand again and they cross the gap. "An ant painting helped me once." she tells the older girl. "Never know."

The group continues on, but when two enormous flowers block the path to the next door, they are forced to continue around the loop of the central room. It turns out for the better though, as they are now on the other side of the snake where the central room is finally accessible.

Ib stops between the doors, trying to decide which one to try first. As if in response Minako directs Theo to the right door and she takes hold of the handle on the left one. They are only stopped from opening them by two comments.

Ib's, "Wait, don't split up."

and Garry's, "Come look at this clock!"

They all take a step back to look up at the creation and Garry continues his examinatory remarks. "It doesn't seem to work. I wonder that black thing in the middle is?" The large art piece resembles a clock with a stylized sun and moon and something black where the face should be.

"Huh." Minako tilts her head both ways to get a different look at it. "It's a void. The face has been removed."

"Perhaps it has been moved to one of these rooms?" Theo suggests, gesturing to the door beside him.

Garry nods, but steps over to Minako's chosen door with Ib in tow. "It's certainly possible, but I think we should try the room away from the snake first. And may we please stick together? Ib and I have only received trouble for splitting up." The incident with Mary is like a wound in his mind that refuses to heal. He should have tried harder to get past the vines. He never should have let Ib continue with that girl. But then... he hadn't known. Even so, he won't repeat that mistake. He will not let Ib leave his side, and if their new friends want to survive they would do best to follow the same idea.

Minako beckons for Theo to come back to them, and once the attendant has returned to her side she stops to think. Garry had brought up a good point. Even she had known safety comes in numbers, but she's so used to commanding a team that can hold their own that splitting up hasn't been a concern for a good while. "Yeah. Sorry. We're a team. Remind me if I forget, okay?"

Garry nods, but isn't done speaking. "On that note actually, I'd like to ask you two something."

Minako leans against the wall, arms crossed. She'd prefer to keep going, but teamwork dynamics demand mutual trust. "Shoot."

"Humans have roses here. Mine blue, Ib's red, I see yours is black. Ib and I even encountered a painting that went so far as to carry a fake rose. I have yet to see your friend's. What color is it?" It's been a concern since they met up. The strange duo that appeared on the staircase – a girl with a rose and a man without. Unless Theo is hiding it somewhere then Garry is drawn to the worrying conclusion that Minako's may be fake. A painting pair masquerading as human – like Mary.

Ib knows the meaning behind the question, having heard Garry show concern over repeating the Mary incident before. She gives her best friend's hand a reassuring squeeze. They're people, they have to be. Theo just has his rose in his jacket like Garry keeps his in his coat. Right?

Inwardly Minako worries. She knows the implications behind that question. Outwardly she turns it back on him. "Why do we have roses anyway?"

Garry blinks in surprise, thinks for a moment, and gives her the same theory he gave Ib. "I suppose it has something to do with the rose sculpture in the real gallery; _Embodiment of Spirit_."

"So the roses are our souls here."

"Yes." Ib's quiet voice draws Garry to look down her way. She continues, "That's why Mary made herself a rose."

Even now she still manages to impress him. "Ah, I hadn't thought of it that way. She was trying to be human after all."

Although Minako doesn't know who Mary is, she runs the conversation through her mind, picking it apart to read between the lines. Then it dawns on her, eyes narrowing. "So you're saying only humans have souls? I beg to differ."

He isn't sure what he's done to make her sound so accusatory. Unless by luck or chance he has stumbled upon the truth and she is getting angry to avoid it coming to light. That may be the case – he sees Theo whisper something to her but he can barely hear the words. Something about 'for my sake'. Trying not to seem too prying he continues on a more passive route. "I only asked what color your friend's rose is. I said nothing else."

Ib tugs on Garry's coat, leading his gaze down to her level once more. "Please don't argue. We're friends."

A calming smile. "Ah, I'm sorry if I've said something to trouble you, Ib." He looks back up at Minako. "I apologize for the implications." Though in the back of his mind he hasn't buried the issue.

The teen forces a smile. "It's fine. I'm sorry for getting so worked up about a simple question. But I urge you to keep an open mind on the issue of the roses."

She turns the knob and pushes open the door without stepping inside. It's pitch dark. "Unless anyone has a flashlight we aren't going in."

Garry reaches into his pocket with a, "I have a lighter." but upon pulling it out it doesn't want to activate. Several clicks later he sighs and returns it to his pocket. "I'm sorry. Its finally run out of oil."

Minako shakes her head. "It's fine. Why do you have a lighter?"

Fists clench in his pockets. "For a habit I've been trying to stop."

When the teen gives no verbal reply the group moves to the door near the snake. Theo pushes it open and peers inside. "It appears I was right. Be wary of the first painting."

His words confuse Ib and Garry – how can he tell an enemy work from a friendly one when it hasn't moved? And before even checking the room no less. But Minako understands and cautiously steps inside toward said painting. _'_ _Mistake_ _'_ the frame reads. "Who frames a mistake?"

"Guertena, it seems." Garry points out. "Art is art after all. You have to embrace your faults." His eyes then land on the long green creature to the right. "I-Is that the snake?"

He catches Theo walk over and tug on it, and while he almost shouts at him not to, within seconds the creature has been moved back yet still asleep.

"The hall should be free of obstructions now."

 _Mistake_ still hasn't moved thankfully, so all of them set off for the back of the room – a winding hall with a thumping noise at regular intervals. Getting close to the cause elicits a shriek from Garry as he dives back to avoid an arrow, and due to linked hands Ib falls with him. The two prove an obstacle to Minako who had attempted to duck and roll under the projectiles, but is yanked back out of the way by Theo, who unfortunately loses his balance as well.

For a moment everyone is too stunned to speak. The moment is only broken by Garry bringing Ib into a hug. "Are you all right? That was my fault."

A nod. "I'm fine."

The others don't want to intrude on the moment, but Minako feels the need to take charge. "We're a mess. We need to coordinate."

Once everyone is standing and away from the arrows, she takes the role of leader. It's natural at this point to command others but these three are nothing like her team. "If this is to work we need mutual trust, respect, and knowledge. Otherwise survival will just throw us in each others way. Our skill sets should compliment our teammates, not interfere with them." Once she is certain they have taken in her speech she makes her move. "I ask you to trust me with these arrows and future obstacles like them. I have a lot of practice dodging things."

"I have complete faith in my guest." Reassurance from her attendant.

"I only ask you remember your rose." A reluctant agreement from the other young man.

"Be careful." A quiet reminder from the little girl.

And with that she is like a ninja down the twisting hall, swiftly moving past each arrow's lane after it fires. She pictures them as persona attacks and it fuels her instinct. A fleeting thought of Yukari brings her a small smile. At the end of it she steps on a button that shuts them off and calls back to the others that it's safe to follow.

On the wall are a blue painting called _Beyond Halcyon Skies_ and a glowing orange butterfly. She removes the pins from the insect, which upon flying away startles Theo. An aside glance from Minako only earns a shake of his head. "It's nothing."

"Good, then chase it!" Garry leads them running back after the butterfly. Things like this always have a reason in the Gallery. This piece of art is important.

With a crash of glass _Mistake_ leaves its frame just as Garry grabs the butterfly. "Oh my."

Everyone makes an immediate break for the door, just barely getting past. A thump can be heard against the door, but it doesn't seem to be smart enough to use the handle. Or it can't see it. It does have a scribble for a head.

Once the hall quiets back to safety the butterfly breaks free of Garry's grip, gentle as it was so as not to harm it, and flits off around the corner. Again the group rushes after it only to watch it settle into a painting, becoming the flame on a candle.

"Neat. We have a light source now."

In conjunction with Minako's comment Theo removes the painting and elects to lead the group into the new room by being the one to hold the candle.

Their circle of light is small but enough to see by. Coming across a canvas stops them as they try to decipher its meaning. A number is painted on it. They end up finding more, each painted with a different color. The meaning isn't obvious.

Of most importance though is the framed switch. With it clicked a sound comes from the direction of the clock outside and so they follow.

An impressed grin from Minako. "Theo was right about the clock face."

A surprised blink, then a smile from her attendant. "It was merely an assumption, but thank you anyway."

Ib stares at the panel underneath the enormous clock, the one for inputting numbers. Then she looks up at Garry. "What were the numbers again?"

He takes a moment to rack his brain for what each canvas had shown them, then lists off six numbers and their colors.

Minako's hand meets her forehead with a frustrated groan. "That's one more than the panel wants, and we don't know the right order or what the colors mean."

Setting the candle painting down against the wall, Theo goes to the panel and examines it. "If I may?" With quick motions gloved hands spin the number wheels until a click is heard and the clock chimes. The hands spin up toward the moon design and the lights dim greatly.

Everyone looks at the attendant in surprise and he doesn't know why. "Hm?"

"How did you know the order?" Minako questions.

"Each canvas's number was colored and Ib was kind enough to show us a room with colors all in a row. I simply put two and two together."

This earns him a smile from Ib. "You're smart."

Gold eyes look away. "It's nothing, really." After a beat he relays a thought. "We should examine the room again. The book from before suggested things here change at night."

This proves to be true when Ib finds that the painting _Beyond Halcyon Skies_ has become _Overfilled Night Sky_. "Overfilled? That means too much." Her shaking of the frame makes a star-like candy fall from the canvas, which proves useful as the ant from earlier trades them a key for it.

Said key opens the door beyond the flowers who have thankfully fallen asleep.

The group continues on into a blue hall but all stop at writing on the wall. It's written in paint and actually makes Ib smile ever so slightly. Said message garners the same reaction from Minako and Theo.

Not so from Garry.

The young man stares in horror at the words, then exchanges a frightened glance with his teammates. "How can you smile at that?!"

Ib tilts her head at him and tugs on his jacket, a gesture he has come to take as a comfort. Even with her hand in his the sensation of being pulled to her is a lifeline.

"What's wrong?" she asks, voice wavering. She's only ever seen him get so defensive in fear at the room with the bunnies.

"What do you see on the wall?" He wonders if they are hallucinating. Ib saw the dolls as something cute before. She also saw her parents in a painting. Maybe whatever she sees is a happy message. But the newcomers smiled too.

Minako pokes him, choosing to ignore his flinch. "It says to remember the art that means the most to you. Are you feeling okay?"

As the only one tall enough to do so comfortably, Theo places a hand on Garry's shoulder. He has learned it's a calming gesture. "I don't believe there is need to fear a simple message. May I assume the ominous atmosphere is what is getting to you?"

Blue eyes read over the message again. _'Drown in the abyss...'_

Garry falls to his knees, the words burning into his mind. The disconnect scares him. Is he the one hallucinating then?

 _'Drown in the abyss...'_

Why is the Gallery out to get him so badly? Why does it hate him in particular? Why is it hard to breathe?

 _'Drown in the abyss...'_

He doesn't register the pain of Ib grabbing his injured hand. He doesn't register Theo telling him to hang in there. He doesn't register Minako kneeling beside him.

 _'Drown in the abyss...'_

The words start to bleed a deeper blue than the hall, the deep blue of the ocean, and it seeps across the floor. Something around his neck pulls him deeper and deeper into the paint and a scream escapes him with what little air he has.

He doesn't register the joint screaming of his friends trying to help him. He doesn't register that they aren't sinking into the paint.

He only registers a warmth in his chest. A warm protective sensation he'd only felt once before – escaping the Doll Room.

The warmth spreads as his psyche cracks, the noose around his neck tightening as the Gallery drowns him. His scream is constricted and his mind lets go, diving into the warmth to get away. The sensation consumes him until it breaks free.

With a flash of blue akin to glass breaking he collapses, the oceanic paint vanishes, and he can breathe once more. In such a dizzy state he doesn't know what's going on, only that the warm feeling is still there. He's safe. And if he is safe he can protect Ib. The warmth will keep them both safe.

He doesn't register that Ib has practically thrown herself onto him, nor that Theo is staring at him in shock. He just barely registers Minako's words, something about potential, before he succumbs to sleep.


End file.
